Almost half a million children gamble every week, commission warns

Nearly half a million children in England and Wales are gambling every week, according to a report.

The Gambling Commission has warned parents and guardians to be vigilant after publishing a report indicating that 450,000 children are gambling regularly, and 9,000 are likely to be problem gamblers.

Some 8% of 11 to 15-year-olds had gambled on a commercial site in the week prior to taking the survey, including betting shops, bingo halls and arcades.

The most popular forms of gambling continue to be fruit machines, placing a private bet with friends and National Lottery scratch cards, typically bought by a parent or guardian.

The poll found 3% of children have spent their own money on online gambling and 6% have gambled online using their parents' accounts, either with or without permission.

The findings indicate that the overall rate of gambling among 11 to 15-year-olds is around 16%, compared with the 5% who have smoked and 8% who have drunk alcohol in the last week, while 6% have taken drugs in the last month.

The overall rate of gambling among the age group has remained relatively static over time as smoking, drinking alcohol and drug-taking has seen a decline, the report said.

The proportion of 12 to 15-year-olds classified as problem gamblers is 0.4%, a similar figure to the previous year.

Gambling in the week prior to taking part in the study was twice as prevalent among boys (21%) than girls (11%).

Three quarters (75%) of 11 to 15-year-olds have seen gambling advertisements on TV and 63% have seen them on social media websites.